LEICA M10-P “ASC 100 Edition”
The M for cinematographers
With the M10-P “ASC 100 Edition”, Leica has created a fitting tribute to the world of cinema on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Founded in 1919, the American Society of Cinematographers is the world’s oldest association for filmmakers, and unites the best cinematographers of our times. Just like Leica, this extraordinary society based in Hollywood has influenced and shaped the way people of all cultures see the world for more than 100 years.
In February 2019, the ASC will be presenting its prestigious awards for the 33rd time – an ideal occasion during which to present an exclusive tool for filmmakers: the Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition”.
In the early 1919, Oskar Barnack, an enthusiastic cinematographer with a love of photography, felt the need to relieve the burden of using the then cumbersome still cameras. He took the 35 mm strip motion picture film - then exclusively utilized by cinematographers -and used it for capturing individual exposures. Barnack doubled the frame size to a horizontal format of 24 × 36 mm. As he wrote in his notebook at the time, “Mikrokinoeinrichtung fertig für Aufnahmen” (micro cine apparatus ready for filming). This records the invention of “Ur-Leica”, which, in 1913/14, went on to lay the foundations for the development of 35 mm photography as we know it today.
That is one of the stories about how the “Ur-Leica” came to be. The second story goes like this: Oskar Barnack was looking for an instrument with which he could conduct exposure tests for motion picture films. Similar to the situation today, in the early years of the 20th century, it was far from easy to check the visual and technical aspects of a scene before shooting. Back then, cinematographers had to run lengths of costly 35 mm film through their unwieldy cine cameras and develop it in order to determine the correct exposure.
In contrast to this – thanks to his revolutionary “Ur-Leica” – Oskar Barnack needed only a single exposed frame of film to accomplish this result. He further refined his technique, and used a series of bracketed exposures to arrive at an approximation of the ideal exposure value required.
While Barnack’s invention of the first 35 mm still camera rang in a new era of photography, the name Leica was to become an inseparable part of the art of creating moving pictures.
Today, a further chapter has been added to the love story that began more than a century ago: the Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition continues Barnack’s ingenious idea and translates it into modern terms.
The Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition” enables cinematographers to get a first impression of a planned scene by reproducingtwo different cine looks and displaying different cine frames in still pictures. . For the first time, it will be possible to deliver a foretaste of either to use a more classical or a more contemporary cine look.
The set comprises a Leica M10-P camera and a Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. lens and - with its two specially tailored cine look mode - is an exquisite tool for aiding cinematographers and filmmakers in their search for the truly exceptional visual experience.
The two unique looks have been developed by Leica imaging quality specialists in collaboration with some of the world’s most influential cinematographers and- members of the ASC. While the ASC Cine Classic Look is inspired by the analog 35 mm motion-picture film look, the ASC Cine Contemporary Look supports the current digital look of contemporary movies.
To make the M10-P “ASC 100 Edition” a tool for professional cinematographers, it will enable users to select from different frame lines used in cinematography.Once activated, the corresponding frame lines are displayed as a bright-line frame.
The ”ASC 100 Edition” set also includes a Visoflex electronic accessory and a Leica M-PL-Mount. Together with the Cine Looks, and the selectable frame lines, this enables the use of the combination as a digital director's viewfinder.
The Leica M-PL Mount enables the use of almost all PL mount cine lenses available on the market. The Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition” thus provides cinematographers and filmmakers with the ability to view and test scenes with any desired lens before shooting begins. Location scouting can also be made much easier with the aid of the Leica FOTOS App, as the combination of the camera and the App offers the ability to share and discuss results immediately with all parties involved in the filming project.
The modern interpretation of Oskar Barnack’s vision is expressed not only in the unique range of functions offered by Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition”, but also in the camera’s design. Radically reduced to just the essentials, the engravings on its black chrome surfaces are in a dark slate grey. The technical-functional look is carried forward in the leathering, which is similar to that also found on the Leica SL. The design of the Leica Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. of the set stands in contrast to the camera and reflects the character of the “Ur-Leica”. Its gold-colored anodized finish recalls the brass of the lens of the groundbreaking original and stylishly translates it into present-day gold. The final touch to the look of the Leica M10-P “ASC 100 Edition” is the classic ASC logo on the top plate that seems to disappear in certain lighting conditions.
